Thunderbolts Flying High With Toys For Tots

EVANSVILLE, IN – Amongst all the hustle and bustle of the Holiday Season, there’s an undercurrent of giving. It’s the point of all the shopping and stress we create for ourselves. The Spirit of the Seasons is to bring us together with kindness towards our fellows. Somewhere in the stress and the shopping all of that gets lost for most people.

One place that the spirit of giving is not being lost during the Holidays is with the Evansville Thunderbolts. This upcoming Friday, the team is sponsoring a Teddy Bear Toss. Many of you know that a teddy bear toss is when a team scores their first goal of the game, fans who bring stuffed animals to the game throw them out onto the ice. They are collected and donated to charity. This year, the Thunderbolts are donating all the stuffed animals to Toys for Tots.

Toys for Tots is a Marine Corps activity that delivers toys to needy and underprivileged families during the holidays. It has been in service since 1995. During Toys for Tots existence, over 512 million toys have been given to over 237 million less fortunate children.(courtesy toysfortots.org)

According to a recent article on Tristatehomepage.com the annual Toys for Tots drive only has one-third of the donations needed for this year. The Thunderbolts are hoping to help pick up some of the deficit for the organization.

The Teddy Bear Toss night is the marquee event in what is a week of giving by the Thunderbolts. Any fan that brings in a toy between now and December 16th, will receive a free ticket to the December 16th game. It is a ticket per toy donation. For example, anyone who bring in 12 toys, will receive 12 tickets.

Photo Courtesy Evansville Thunderbolts

It’s easy to remember the joys of the Holidays as a child. The wonder of Santa Claus and the excitement over the gifts are fond memories for many of us. As we mature and it starts to mean more/different things to us, I try not to ever forget how special it is to little ones. It’s easy for me to remember that now with two little ones of my own.

For those of us that are fond of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, there’s the very real piece of the Holiday’s when Cousin Eddie’s kids have been told Santa Claus wasn’t coming this year. It’s a sad reality for many families who just trying to survive. This is an opportunity for all of us to tap into our inner Clark Griswold and pitch in to save the Holiday for kids.

If you’re planning on participating in Teddy Bear Toss or taking in a toy to the Thunderbolts office before Friday at 3pm, I say thank you. Not only as a parent myself, but as a human being with an incredible soft spot for kids. It’s a good thing the Thunderbolts are doing trying to help a great cause like Toys for Tots.